#1350 SweeTango - Wrap Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Easthampton

Pattern Summary: #1350 SweeTango Wrap Knitting Pattern by Valley Yarns

The #1350 SweeTango is a beautifully conceived, multi-directional rectangle wrap designed by Julie Turjoman for Valley Yarns. This pattern is rated Beginner skill level, making it an approachable yet visually striking project for knitters who are ready to explore construction techniques beyond simple flat knitting. The finished wrap measures a generous 20 inches wide by 82 inches long, creating a versatile accessory that can be worn as a scarf or a shawl-style wrap.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a single large rectangular wrap worked entirely in one piece. The design is cleverly engineered to take full advantage of the self-striping color runs found in Valley Yarns Easthampton yarn, creating a dynamic interplay between wide, flowing color transitions in the center panel and long, narrow color stripes in the surrounding borders. The result is a wrap that looks complex and intentional in its colorwork, yet relies entirely on the yarn's own color sequencing rather than any hand-manipulated color changes by the knitter.

Construction and Techniques

The multi-directional construction is the defining technique of this pattern. Rather than knitting the entire piece in one direction, the wrap is built in distinct sections that are worked in different orientations relative to one another. This approach is what gives the finished piece its striking visual contrast between the center and the borders.

• Center strip first: A wide center strip is cast on and worked lengthwise from one short end to the other. This section is worked in a garter stripe stockinette pattern, in which rows of garter stitch are introduced at each color transition in the yarn, creating subtle textural breaks that align with the color changes.
• Long side borders: Once the center is complete, stitches are picked up along each of the two long edges of the center strip. These borders are then worked outward from the center, running perpendicular to the direction of the center panel. This perpendicular orientation is what causes the self-striping yarn to produce long, narrow vertical stripes in the borders, contrasting beautifully with the wide horizontal color transitions in the center.
• Short end borders: After the long side borders are complete, stitches are picked up along the short ends of the wrap to create matching end borders, completing the framed, all-around border effect.
• Eyelet detail: At the pick-up edges where the borders meet the center panel, yarnovers are used to create a decorative row of eyelets. This adds a delicate visual line of interest at the intersection of the two sections, giving the wrap a polished, finished look.
• Stitch pick-up technique: The pattern includes specific guidance for picking up stitches along the long edges, instructing knitters to pick up approximately 5 stitches for every 6 stockinette rows and 1 stitch for every garter purl bump row. Stitches are picked up purlwise but then knitted to create a clean transition between the eyelets and the knitted rows.
• Cast-on method: The Long-Tail Cast-On method is specified for starting the long side borders, with a reference to a video tutorial available through Valley Yarns' learning resources.

Stitches Used

Despite its impressive finished appearance, the stitch vocabulary in this pattern is intentionally kept simple and beginner-friendly. The stitches and stitch patterns used include:

• Stockinette stitch — the primary stitch used throughout the center panel, creating a smooth fabric that allows the self-striping yarn colors to read clearly and fluidly.
• Garter stitch — worked in rows at each color transition within the center panel to create the garter stripe stockinette pattern. Garter stitch, in which every row is knitted, creates a ridged, reversible texture that adds subtle dimension.
• Yarnovers — used at the border pick-up edges to form the decorative eyelet detail. A yarnover is a simple technique of wrapping the yarn around the needle to create an intentional hole, commonly used in lace and decorative knitting.
• Stitch pick-up — an essential construction technique in which new stitches are drawn up from the edges of existing knitted fabric, allowing new sections to be